MLB debate: Who has the better starting five -- Mets or Nationals?

The New York Mets' Amazin' starting rotation -- considered by many to be the best in baseball last season -- helped propel them all the way to the 2015 World Series. This year, though, they've fallen back to earth a bit, opening the door for their No. 1 National League East rival, the Washington Nationals, to make the case that they have the best squad in the division.

So which team has the edge? Check out our debate between Mets beat writer Adam Rubin and Nationals beat writer Eddie Matz, then cast your vote below.

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Rubin: Even in midst of slow start, Mets have more muscle

During the Mets' recently completed road trip, Bartolo Colon became the oldest player in major league history to produce his first homer. Noah Syndergaard followed that up with a two-homer game as the team's pitchers continued to flex their muscles.

Even at the plate, the Mets' rotation is dominant.

We often make sweeping generalizations based on short periods of time. The Mets' staff entered the season as the best rotation in baseball. And some quirky occurrences during the opening weeks should do nothing to alter that belief.

Syndergaard has been as good as advertised. After beating Max Scherzer in Tuesday's series-opening showdown, he now has a 4-2 record and 2.19 ERA. In his two losses, the Mets have scored a total of one run. His fastball has averaged 98 mph. And he has 55 strikeouts and nine walks in 46⅓ innings.

Jacob deGrom, an All-Star in 2015, has been highly successful as well, even with a fastball that has averaged only 92.5 mph this season, down 2.5 mph from its 2015 level. Despite the velocity dip and mechanics he still feels are somewhat out of whack, deGrom is 3-1 with a 2.50 ERA this season.

As for Steven Matz, whom the Nats likely -- and luckily -- will miss in the series because of recent forearm soreness, he is 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his past five starts, after a disastrous season debut following a long layoff during which he recorded only five outs. Matz has won nine of his first 12 career regular-season starts. Only two other active pitchers have achieved that many wins in their first dozen games -- Jered Weaver in 2006 and Masahiro Tanaka in 2014.

The ageless Colon recently passed Pedro Martinez for the second-most wins ever by a Dominican-born pitcher. Colon, who turns 43 on Tuesday, continues to keep hitters off-balance. Throw out a clunker in his most recent start and he has pitched to a 2.82 ERA this season.

And that leaves Matt Harvey as the best No. 5 starter in baseball. Yes, Harvey may be showing some hangover from logging the most innings ever in a first season back from Tommy John surgery (216 last year). But discount the Dark Knight at your own peril.

And if you disagree that the Mets have a better rotation than the Nationals, how about a little Home Run Derby to settle the dispute?

Matz: Don't believe the buzz -- Washington wins in landslide

The Nationals have the better rotation, and it's not particularly close, either. Don't believe me? Just look at the numbers.

Despite all the preseason buzz surrounding the Mets' staff, Washington's fab five features twice as many first-round picks (four) as New York's (two). The only member of the Nats' rotation who isn't a former first-rounder is Tanner Roark, who recently fanned 15 batters in a game, and whose 3.10 ERA is among the top 20 in the National League. Not too shabby for a No. 5 guy.

Speaking of ERA, four of Washington's starters -- Roark, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Joe Ross -- currently rank among the NL's top 20. The only one who doesn't? That would be Max Scherzer, the staff ace and former Cy Young winner who last week tied a major league record with 20 punchouts, and who has tossed two no-hitters in the past year, one of which came against a certain team from Flushing. So yeah, Washington's starting five is stacked.

That's not to say that New York's rotation doesn't have talent. In fact, Syndergaard may be the studliest starter on either of these two division rivals. But between Harvey's vanishing velocity, Matz's achy elbow and deGrom's waning whiff rate (not to mention Colon's hemi-octogenarianism), there's plenty of cause for concern in Queens.

Add it all up, and it should come as no surprise that Washington's rotation outpaces New York's in nearly every important statistical category. I won't bore you with all the details, but here are the highlights (unless you bleed blue and orange, in which case these are the lowlights):

• Washington's 3.00 starter ERA, which is second to only the Cubs' in baseball, is appreciably lower than New York's 3.30.

• Opponents are hitting an alarming .270 off of Mets starters (20th in MLB), compared to just .226 against the Nats' rotation (third).

• Scherzer & Co. are giving up line drives just 18.6 percent of the time. That's the lowest clip among National League rotations, and the third lowest in the majors. On the flip side, Harvey et al currently have a 23.5 percent line-drive rate that's the third highest in baseball.

I'm not saying that New York's rotation isn't good. It's just that Washington's is better. At least it has been so far.